Machine for cutting sheet metal.



H. HILL' MAGHINE FOR CUTTING SHEET METAL.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 24, 1908. v 960,014. Patented May 31, 19.10.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' nah/EN E] 2 Hermann [fi Z a fixrwlwwifti T fw 74 H. HILL.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING SHEET METAL.

APPLIOATIOF FILED JULY 24, 1908.

Patented May 31, 1910.

3 SHEETS-BEHBT 2.

IIHII H. HILL.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING SHEET METAL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1908.

Patented May 31, 1910.

- 3 snEETs-snEET 1.-

UNITED sTA'rns ATE-N union.

HERMAN'N HILL, OF WEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO STEELFIREPROOFING COMPANY, OF WHEELING, TEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF WESTVIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING SHEET METAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, iaio.

Application filed July 24, 1908. Serial No. 455,076.

This invention relates to means for cut ting sheetmetal preparatory toexpanding the same for various uses, such as metallic lathing or inreinforced concrete work and for similar uses.

The object of my invention is to rovide a machine of the characterdescribed in which there may be used series of cutters arrangedtransversely of the sheet but with each individual cutter arrangedlongitudinally of the sheet and in which also such cutters arepositively spaced the right distance apart by means of their holdersrather than by being bolted together and built up one against the otherin such a way as to multiply any error resulting from variations in thethickness of the cutters, as occurs when such cutters are built up andclamped together with or without spacing blocks between them.

Another feature of my present invention consists in the specialconformation of the cutting edges of. the cutters whereby a greaterefficiency is secured and a cleaner cut is made and the tendency of thecutters to stick to the metal is reduced to the minimum.

Another feature of my present invention consists in the specialarrangement of such cutters in two cooperating sets of two series eachand in means for feeding the sheet' thereto in a way to secure theproper cooperation of the cutters thereon.

In my machine, I employ, as above noted, two series of upper, andcooperating therewith, two series of lower cutters spaced and supportedin the manner briefly outlined above. The cutters of each series in eachset are spaced apart from the cutters of the corresponding series in theother set a distance represented by halfthe length of one cut and thelength longitudinally of the sheet of a key or space between twoadjacent cuts in alinement with each other. The cutters are further soarranged that the first set of upper and lowercutters coiiperate to cuta series of parallel slits across the sheet with the spaces between themtwice the width of a bar or side wall of the meshes in the finishedand-expanded metal. The second set of upper and lower cutters arearranged to cut slits, the centers of sheet exactly in the centers ofthe spaces between the cuts formed by the first set' of cutters and theyare so disposed transversely of the sheet asto cut slits disposedcentrally between the slits formed by the first set of of cutters, thenumber of reciprocations of the cutters is greatly reduced. Take forinstance expanded metallic lathing in which inch wide, the ke s 1/8 ofan inch wide and the cuts or slits f/8 of an inch long. The longitudinalfeed of the sheet of metal beinch with dies disposed as above described,

edges arranged transversely of the sheet and arranged to cut and expandthe metal at the same time, there would be necessitated 16 cuts perinch.

NVhile by my method the number of cutting edges is increased, the workof each cutter is reduced to an equal extent, and as the cutters do notoperate as expanders, the power which would be expended in expending themetal as it is cut by the other style of machine referred to may beadvantageously used in operating a greater number of cutters, resultingin greatly reducing the number of reciprocations and correentire sheet.

Essential features of my machine then in the way indicated and properlyreciprocatin them and for intermittentl the s set thereto to secure thea ove outlined operation of the cutters thereon;

In the accompanying drawings I have figures of such drawings I haveshown in maybe readily appliedyto such a press for intermittentlyfeeding'oradvancing the sheet tviously the feeding'me'chanism may be ofthe side walls of the mesh are 1/16 of an' tween each cutting operationwill be one 1 whereas, with dies having their cutting spondingly alsothe time required to cut the consist in means for supporting the cutterspartial plan View and in side view an ordinary press wlth a feedingmechanism such as of metal to be acted upon by my dies. Ob

which are disposed longitudinally on the cutters. As the result of thisarrangement feeding shown my cutting dies and in two of the any desiredform to especially ada t it to any such press in which my dies may eused. I have, therefore, shown such feeding mechanism diagrammatically.The drawings are as follows:

Figure 1 is a top view of the lower cutting die. Fig. 2 is a partialside view of the upper and lower cutting dies. Fig. 3 is a centraltransverse sectional view of the upper and lower cutting dies. Fig. t isan edge view of the cutters at the completion of a cut. Fig. 5 is a faceView of one of the cutters and Fig. 6 is a perspective plan view, asseen from the under side, of the upper die holder. Fig. 7 is aperspective view of the lower die holder. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailview of a part of one of the retaining racks. Fig. 9 showsdiagrammatically the relative arrangements of the cuts formed by my diesin a part of a sheet of metal. Fig. 10 shows partially in section takenalong the line 0 y of Fig. 11 a press such as my dies may be used in andhaving attached thereto a feeding mechanism adapted to feed the metalintermittently to the cutting dies. In

this figure the reciprocating parts of thepress are removed and the dieholders are shown. in dotted outline. Fig. 11 is a side view of such apress and attached feeding mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, my lower die holder comprises a bed piece B,as seen in Figs. 1,2,3 and 7, consisting in a casting having ears 5thereon in which holes are provided to receive bolts 0, by means ofwhich the same is attached to the bed piece U of the press. The castingB is recessed, as seen, between longitudinally extending side wallsthrough which are provided a series of threaded holes 2' to receive acorresponding series of machine bolts 11, the inner ends of which engageagainst the rack bars 6, an enlarged view of a portion of one of suchbars being seen in Fig. 8. These rack bars have a series of beveledgrooves therein equally spaced and adapted to receive thecorrespondingly beveled edges of the cutters p and p arranged in tworows, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The adjacent edges of these cuttersp and p engage within beveled slots in similar rack bars f. The lengthof these rack bars 6 and f is preferably the same as that of the sidewalls of the base piece B and they are held in place longitudinally bythe end blocks d screwed to the base piece B, as indicated. The basepiece B has near its end transversely arranged and upwardly extendingprojections 6 upon the ends of which are screwed the blocks 0 in such away as to form recesses between the blocks 0 and the upper ends of theprojections between such blocks adapted to receive the projections onthe blocks screwed to'the base piece A of the upper die holder, and inwhich recesses the projecting portions of such blocks 651 closely fit.The upper die holder A has also attaching ears a and has a similar pairof rack bars 0 and cooperating therewith a pair of rack bars f betweenwhich are clamped an upper series of cutters p and p such cutters beingclamped by means of the screws 2, between the outer rack bars 6 and theinner and adjacent raclr bars 7'. The rack bars on the upper cutter areprevented from longitudinal movement by the blocks (Z and the side wallsof the base piece A are the same length as the upper series of rack barsand also a little shorter than the side walls on the lower base piece B.

By providing the rack bars 6 and f with the beveled slots thereincarefully fitted to the correspondingly beveled edges of the cutters pand 39 I am enabled to properly assemble the cut-ters with their cuttingedges evenly spaced regardless of variations in the thickness of thecutters, and in this way there is avoided the accumulated error whichwould result from clamping such cutters directly against each other incase of any unevenness in the thickness of the cutters.

The projections on the block al when they engage within the recessestherefor already described, serve to properly aline the upper and lowerbase plates A and B in setting up the dies in a press.

The cooperating series of upper and lower cutters 39, it will be noted,are arran ed to cut a series of slits in the metal, the length of whichequals that of two adjacent side bars and a connecting key between theadjacent ends of such side bars of a mesh or opening in the expandedmetal, and such slits or cuts are spaced apart by a distancerepresenting twice the width of a side bar of a mesh in the completedmetal. The cutters p are arranged to cut a series of slits or cuts inthe metal of the same length as those formed by the cutters p but spacedin the center between the cuts formed by such cutters 7) and with thespaces between the slits or cuts formed by successive operations of suchcutters p spaced apart by a distance representing the connecting keybetween adjacent bars and with the uncut portions between successivecuts equally spaced between the uncut portions .left between successivecuts formed by the series of cutters p. The result of this is that thecuts are arranged as diagrammatically indicated in a portion of thesheet of metal M in Fig. 9. Fig. 5 represents a side View of one of thecutters p with the cutting edge turned from the observer. Fig. 4 showsin edge view three of the upper and cooperating lower cutters p asoverlapping and in substantially the positions they assume at thecompletion of a cut in the metal. It is desirable that there be providedfor one edge tically opposite the cutters. For this reason I provide abar 0 which, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, is screwed on top of the endblock d.

Refer now to Figs. 10 and 11. U is the base piece of the press havingthe side members u connected at the top by the cross piece 11 and havingnear their upper ends bearings provided for the main shaft S upon whichis provided the usual cam or crank and connecting member -v articulatingat its lower end in the usual way with the upper end of a reciprocatingdie block V, to which the upper cutter base or holder A is secured, asindicated, such member V reciprocating vertically between the guides vThe base member U has secured thereto the lower cutter holder or basepiece B properly alined of course with the upper cutter base A in themanner already described. In Fig. 10 the sheet of metal M is shown indotted outline while in Fig. 11 such sheet of metal is shown in fulllines in edge View.

The press as thus described is of a common make and for feeding thesheets through the press I provide a rock shaft 8 supported in bearings.2 suitably secured to the right hand feet of the press and on the endof this shaft 8 toward the observer is secured acrank arm 7' from which'the connecting rod 7" extends to a crank pin secured in the crank disk 8on the end of the main shaft toward the observer, as indicated in Fig.11

On this shaft .9 and just within the bearings therefor are secured twoupwardly extending arms L having segmental slots in their upper andwidened ends adapted to receive the operating pins 5 projectingoutwardly from the side bars N which work or slide in the guide blocksn, secured to the base U,

- which guide blocks form supports and guides for the side bars N of thefeed frame. Between these side bars N of the feed frame there extendtransversely disposed bars N and N 'which form supports for fourlongitudinally arranged braces 72. having preferably formed integrallytherewith the nearly vertically disposed members j, each of which latteris bifurcated at its upper and lower ends, as will be explained. In thebifurcated upper ends of these members j are pivotally supportedgrippers 9 having on their ends extending toward the center of the presssuitably formed projections adapted to grip the sheet of metal M andclamp it down upon the cross bars N The outer ends of these grippers garticulate with the upper ends of connectin links 1 the lower ends ofwhich links articulate with the outer ends of the levers r pivotallysupported in the bifurcated lower ends of the members y' and The partsas just above described are so relatively proportioned and positionedthat while the cutting dies are' in engagement with the metal, thegrippers g are released by the upward movement of the arm 1' while atthe same time the upper ends of the slotted levers L are moved to theright to carry the feed frame, comprising the longitudinally disposedmembers N and the cross bars N and N connected therewith correspondinglyto the right or the rear. Before the forward movement of the feed framethe grippers are brought into engagement with the sheet ofmetal. M bythe downward movement of the arm 1 and this occurs before the rear endsof the slots in the upper ends of the arms L engage the pins t to forcethe feed frame to the left or forward the required distance. The slotsin the upper ends of the arms or levers L are to provide a sufficientperiod in each half cycle of the press during which the feed frame andthe sheet supported thereon'may remain at rest. This is necessary inorder that,.as the sheet cannot be fed while the dies are in engagementtherewith, the feed frame may remain at rest at each end of its courseduring a brief interval. The length of the slots in the upper ends ofthese arms L is proportioned therefore to provide the proper amount oflost motion for this purpose.

I desire to call attention to the fact that the above described feedmechanism is only one of the many mechanisms which may be employed witha die press such as shown for properly feedin the metal to the cuttingdies. The speci c character of such feeding mechanism comprises no partof my present invention.

It is believed from the foregoing description of the construction andoperation of my invention that no further explanation is necessaryherein. I may add, however, that I prefer to grind a flat bevel on thecutters and form the cutting edge at a much blunter angle by a secondbevel, as indicated in Figs. 4: and 5.

What I claim is 13 In a machine of the class described, two sets ofcutters of two cooperating series in each set; means for supporting thetwo series of each set in cooperative relation to the two series of theother set and spaced apart a distance represented by substantially onehalf the length of a cut formed by any one of such cutters plus thelength of a space between the cuts to be formed by either set of cuttersand means for reciprocally moving the series of cutters in one of suchsets cooperatively to and from the series of cutters in the other set.

2. In a machine of the class described, two sets of cutters of twocooperating series in each set; means for supportingthe two series ofeach set in cooperative relation to the two series of the other set andspaced apart a distance represented by substantially one half the lengthof a cut formed by any one of such cutters plus'the length of a spacebetween the cuts to be formed by either set of cutters; means forreciprocally moving the series of cutters in one of such sets 00-operatively to and from the series of cutters in the other set and meansfor intermittently advancing the sheet between the cutters and betweenthe operations of the cutters thereon a distance longitudinally of thesheet represented by the length of a cut formed therein by one of suchcutters and added thereto the length of such a space between the cuts tobe formed by either set of cutters.

3. As a means for holding a series of individual cutters properly spacedWith their cutting edges in substantially parallel planes in a machineof the class described, a pair of rack bars having beveled groovestherein; beveled edges on the cutters adapted to engage the beveledgrooves in the rack bars and means for clamping the melt bars togetherwith the cutters between them,

l. As a means for holding a series of individual cutters properly spacedWith their cutting edges in substantially parallel planes in a machineof the class described a base piece for supporting such cutters; a pairof rack bars having beveled grooves therein; beveled edges on thecutters adapted to engage the beveled grooves in therack bars and meansfor clamping the rack bars together With the cutters between them, suchmeansconnected to such base piece.

5. A cutter for the purpose described comprising a plate having asubstantially fiat bevel formed thereon near the cutting edge and havinga segmental cutting edge formed by a second and a se mentally curvedbevel less acute than the fiat bevel.

HERMANN l-lllZL.

Witnesses Lnvvls "WARNER, ARTHUR BENHAM.

